Mothers
by Aviantei
Summary: [Sequel to All That Counts; Gyakuten Kenji 2 spoilers] When Heather gets notice of an inheritance from her mother, Yumihiko doesn't know how to feel. After all, he never knew his own mother. But the journals of Marisa Kaleigh might have more to do with Yumihiko than he thinks... [YumihikoxOC]
1. Prologue: What it takes to Stay Alive

**Mothers**

By: Aviantei

Prologue: What it takes to Stay Alive

* * *

The Journals of Marisa Kaleigh

December, 1999

* * *

_I really don't feel like talking about this past year much. It's been a difficult time, with graduating and moving out and going to America. It's enough to drive anyone bonkers, really, but I guess most people would be happy. I already have a stable job, I'm doing what I love, and there's no reason to think of the future so pessimistically._

_The problem here is that I was caught off guard. I never thought I would be so stupid as to fall into the trap of a one-night-stand. He was just so handsome and we were both drunk and in the morning he apologized like a gentleman and tried not to show off his engagement ring. I didn't even bother to get his name, but maybe that's for the best._

_I know the reasonable thing would be to abort the kid. Moral questions aside, I don't want to bring a child into this world that I'm not prepared to take care of. After all, he/she's my responsibility since I went through the act that made him/her exist. I don't want to just send him/her into some orphanage, either. There's no guarantee of adoption, and plenty of other kids out there that need homes for reasons other than their parents were too lazy to keep them around._

_I just… I don't know what to do. I haven't told anyone. Not my parents, not Akemi. Mum and Dad just got over the idea of me not living at home, even though it's been a year. Akemi's about to get married to Bansai. I can't just ruin that for her._

_And here I was, criticizing all of the girls who dropped out of secondary school and university to deal with their kids whose dads wouldn't own up and commit to them…_

_I've been thinking about this for a while. Like if I can manage the money and time to take care of a kid. I make good money, but my work schedule is horrible. I'm sure that Itami would understand, but I'm still uncertain… Having kids is a hassle. I really didn't expect to be having any until I was at least thirty._

_But I'm not. And there's this tiny kid in my stomach, one who's going to be too old to get rid of soon. I'd be able to go through with the procedure well enough, but if the fetus develops too much, it's not safe. And really, there's this tiny, tiny part of me that wants to have it._

_I know, I know. It's stupid. It's motherly instincts coming into effect, a bout of evolutionary psychology that hasn't gone away. I'm a mother and I'm trying to protect my kid. I want to take care of it, want to see it. I want to be able to hold a kid in my arms and raise it and know that I brought it to life._

_Even someone like me can't take the idea of condemning the life inside me to some coffin of a jar._

_I really think I can manage this. I think I can handle raising this kid on my own. I've kind of been saving extra money ever since I found out. I have the savings account that's been building interest ever since I was born. I've calculated the amount of money I need to spend every month on bills._

_I really, really think I'm going to have him or her. _

_It's stupid. It's really, really stupid. A long time ago, I promised myself that I wouldn't have kids until I was married and had a good husband to support me, but I guess that isn't going to happen. I'm breaking my promise to my past self._

_I just guess I never realized how badly I wanted to be a mother._

* * *

August 23, 2003

* * *

"I don't understand, Bansai. What were you even trying to accomplish with… with this?"

"What was I trying to accomplish? I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"My best friend is dead! Your _wife_ is dead! How can you just expect me to sit here and not do anything about it?!"

"You shouldn't get so hysterical, Marisa. And I don't intend for you to not do anything."

"Damn right, I won't! This was _murder_, and I intend to make you take responsibility for it!"

"There is another option. One that doesn't have to end that way."

"Well, I sure as hell don't see one."

"It's simple, really. If you just conceal the truth, then we can continue like this never happened…"

"I refuse."

* * *

October 3, 2022

* * *

Once the tears started falling, Yumihiko had to close the book. He wanted to keep reading, but ruining the ink with tearstains wasn't an option.

_They really are exactly the same._

* * *

The moment when your net connection resets so you have to retype your author's note.

But! I'm back to write for the Ace Attorney fandom! As noted, this is the sequel to _All That Counts_. While I'm going to try and make it not necessary, reading it is highly recommended.

_All That Counts_ was written before a patch for _Gyakuten Kenji 2_ was even remotely conceived (a patch I have yet to play). The characters are based off my impressions from playing the game in Japanese (with my limited understanding) and what I was able to glean off the wiki. As such, I developed a sort of internal universe hitch where the new characters were kept as Japanese, while any character from an officially translated game was set to their nationality within. Due to the fact that I'm attached to it, and rewriting character relationships isn't really something I want to do before I can continue this saga.

Japanese character names will be written in the family name-given name order (Yumihiko is then written as Ichiyanagi Yumihiko), while English names are written in the given name-family name order (Heather is then Heather Kaleigh).

That aside, this is as much of Yumihiko and Heather's story as it is of their mothers'. I hope this turns out to be an enjoyable journey.

Since I work on several stories at once, the next chapter of this will probably be released in July.

Next time, dinner, a letter, and the promise of a journey.

[POST] 021115


	2. Chapter 1: How Long You Had to Wait

**Mothers**

By: Aviantei

Chapter 1: How Long You Had to Wait

* * *

September 21, 2022, 6:13 PM

Ichiyanagi Yumihiko and Heather Kaleigh's Apartment

* * *

Heather Kaleigh was finally able to make it back to the apartment about an hour later than she would have liked, feeling more than a bit exhausted. Work hadn't been too bad—after all being a coroner at Itami Hospital was more than she could have imagined herself doing just three years ago, a real dream job. And while her enthusiasm for work hadn't depleted in the slightest, there was still something very frustrating about having a corpse shoved onto your autopsy table the bloody _second_ you were about to get off your shift, just because you had been personally requested.

Shrugging off her shoes and jacket at the door, Heather headed straight for the kitchen. Her housemate and boyfriend had had the day off, and promised to have some semblance of food waiting once she got off work. Heather hadn't expected much—Yumihiko wasn't the best cook in the world, but even at this point, take out would do.

The kitchen was free of any people, even if an assortment of Chinese carryout boxes were strewn across the table, and unopened at that. Heather frowned, dropping her backpack on the floor, retreating back to the living room area.

"Yumi, I'm home!" she called. "Sorry I'm late, but you really need to tell that Prosecutor Gavin friend of yours that I don't appreciate getting sent bodies just because he can't accept me not doing his autopsy work anymore."

It was only with a small group of people close to Yumihiko, but the young man just couldn't help but brag about Heather's skills to his coworkers. And while it was nice to have a building reputation and work, she really just wished they would choose which bodies to send her way better.

Really, Gavin's case hadn't even been that interesting! No amount of enthusiasm could make up for a straightforward knife to heart verdict.

A crash emitted from down the hall, and Heather winced. A few seconds later, Yumihiko emerged, covered in dust and a cloth sitting on top of his head, the curl of hair underneath still making its presence known. The prosecutor coughed a few times, but smiled nonetheless. "Welcome home, Heather!"

He even smiled as he said it, not really caring about his state of being. He went to give Heather a hug, and the young woman realized she didn't care much, either. She had been planning to change clothes and take a shower sooner or later, so a little more dust wouldn't hurt. Besides, Yumihiko was just so adorable, she couldn't bring herself to say no.

Yumihiko hadn't really changed much since their first meeting—he still had the same bushy hair and baby face, even if he insisted that some of his features had become more defined. Heather only insisted on teasing him because his attitude hadn't changed much since he was seventeen, either, aside from when he was in the courtroom.

"Did you have a good day at work?" he asked, eyes bright and shining. "I heard you say something about Prosecutor Gavin…?" Yumihiko's ahoge physically drooped with the words, showing his worry. Heather sighed, but didn't blame him. After all, the German prosecutor was one of the few friends the brunette boy had.

"He just dumped a body on me a little too close to the end of my shift for my liking is all," Heather assured, patting Yumihiko's head. Part of it had been her own fault for not letting the guy on the next shift take care of it anyway. Stupid curiosity and pride. "Other than that, it was an alright day. So what about you? Looks like you went on an adventure."

Yumihiko cocked his head to the side, then seemed to remember his state. "Sorry!" he exclaimed, jumping back and trying to pat off the dust on his clothes. The dust cloth was forgotten, though. "I went looking for a book to read while I waiting and ended up in the guest room. I realized I hadn't really touched it since you stayed there last year, so it needed cleaning."

It was strange. A little more than a year ago, she had been an unexpected guest in this apartment, running away from home. Two years before that, they had barely met, only having an argument over a corpse and a few discussions before Yumihiko had come to offer her a job. Now, they were living together, and even dating at that.

"If that's so, what was with that crash I heard? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Heather frowned a little. Tonight was supposed to be relaxing, and the last thing she needed was a trip back to the hospital, especially since the closet one _was_ her workplace.

Yumihiko laughed nervously, his eyes darting to the other side of the room and back. "I may have knocked over a stack of books or two," he admitted, cheeks tinting red. Not even three years could eliminate his clumsiness. "Oh, but nothing broke, so don't worry about it."

"Silly Yumi, I'm more worried about you." Looking Yumihiko over, Heather didn't notice any glaring injuries. Being just a coroner didn't give her the same expertise as a regular doctor, but she could at least tell that much. "You look fine though, so I'll go change and then we can sit down and eat, how's that sound?"

"Okay!" Yumihiko said, beaming. "I'll go start heating things up again." With that, he rushed off towards the kitchen, having to make sure not to slip on the wood floor with the limited traction of his socks.

"Careful!" Heather called after him, heading back to their shared room. It had taken a lot to convince Yumihiko into the arrangement, but he gave in once Heather had pointed out that it was fine for couples to share a bed and that it didn't have to lead straight to sex. Yumihiko had been too flustered to argue after that, and Heather had delivered the final blow that he at least needed to be prepared for that much if he expected her to accept his proposal.

Their apartment wasn't anything complex, so neither was their bedroom. Sure, there were a few odd trinkets here and there—some of Yumihiko's old law school belongings, a few posters that Heather had managed to salvage from her old house showing off different anatomy diagrams, and the skeleton of Marisa Kaleigh, Heather's mother.

Heather finished dressing quickly before heading back. Before, she had been glad to have Marisa around, even if it was in a macabre way. Leaving the skeleton behind in England had even been one of the hardest parts of running away. And even though it had been a year since those events had passed, thinking about her real mother just lead to thinking about her step-mother instead.

The kitchen was afresh with the smell of food, and Heather picked up one of the small cartons of already heated up rice before sitting down at the island. "You can go ahead and dig in, Yumi," she said, smiling. Yumihiko jumped a little at her sudden arrival, but his hands were thankfully empty. "And I'd get started soon if I were you, 'cause I'm not gonna hold back."

Heather resisted the urge to point her chopsticks at him—last time she had, both Yumihiko _and_ Ms. Achhammer had scolded her, and even though the woman in question wasn't there, it wasn't an experience Heather was willing to repeat regardless. Yumihiko sat down across from her, picking up a box of noodles while the microwave hummed in the background.

"Oh, right, you got something in the mail today," Yumihiko said after swallowing. Heather raised her eyebrows. Why would anyone bother to send her mail? Even if it was a package, all the people she knew would have an easier time of just handing it to her in person.

"You didn't order something for me, did you?" Heather asked. That would be just like the boy—order something as a surprise and spring it on her.

However, Yumihiko shook his head. "It wasn't me. It was some letter. The return address said it was from England."

_England._ Automatically, Heather's mind went to the worst possible outcome. There wasn't anything good left that could come from overseas, not after she had moved out. Her father was one of the few people who would bother to write, just because their conversations had become even more awkward since Heather had helped his wife and her stepmother get arrested.

"Um…" Yumihiko hummed, looking around. His ahoge sprung up in recognition. "Oh, there it is!" The boy sprung up, heading over to the counter on the opposite wall. He returned, the letter in his hands. "…Heather?"

"Eh? Oh, I'm fine." Heather did her best to smile. Really, she needed to stop getting so caught up in thought like that. Spacing out on a regular basis wasn't really a good quality, and the people around her tended to worry too much for their own good.

"_Heather_," Yumihiko repeated, a tone of disbelief in his voice. Of course he would be able to see right through it. She really had done a number over the past few years, letting him see her weak sides. And while Yumihiko was a bit ditzy at times, his perception skills had only gotten better with time.

Heather grimaced a little in shame. "Sorry. Just nervous," she said. Yumihiko's attempt at a glare (really, it was too cute to be called that!) reverted into a reassuring smile. "I mean, I haven't really heard from anyone there in a while, unless you count Ema, but since she's really an American…"

Come to think of it, the scientific investigator in training was probably Heather's _only_ friend in Europe, or at least the only one still close enough to be considered a friend. And even then, Ema would be moving back stateside soon enough, so it was still technically zero.

"Sometimes you worry too much, Heather," Yumihiko said, still smiling. He held out the envelope with both hands, leaning his head a bit closer. "Really, I'm sure it's nothing too bad. I bet Mr. Southway just wants to check up on how you've been doing. After all, it's been a while since he sent one."

_Leave it to Yumi to remember silly stuff like this._ Then again, he hadn't really had a father for three years, and even then, Ichiyanagi Bansai hadn't been the best parent in the world. Heather shook her head; those were just more unnecessary memories, and had nothing to do with the situation. Instead, she turned her focus on the letter.

And was relieved to realize it wasn't her father's handwriting. Immediately, the tension drained out of her shoulders, and it was enough for them to actually droop a bit.

It was equally like Yumihiko not to check the return address to see who had sent the letter and just make assumptions. As expected, he still had a lot of work ahead of him to reach his dream of becoming a "first rate" prosecutor.

Heather opened the letter without any hesitation. _Clara._ They hadn't talked since…since right before Heather had ran away last year. Clara and her husband Bernie had been the ones to help secretly buy her plane ticket. Thinking about it, Heather felt bad. She hadn't even checked in with the couple to let them know she had made it okay, despite everything else.

_Hey there, Sweetie,_

_I know this seems like it's out of nowhere, but I needed to get a hold of you, and this is the only way to do it. I went asking that father of yours for your new contact information, and all he gave me was this address! For a businessman, he sure forgets the little things like picking out phone numbers!_

_Putting that aside, there's a far more important matter we need to discuss. Bernie and I are getting some renovations done on Hobbleton, so we've had plenty of time to do other things. We were trying to clean out a chunk of the attic, and we found a lot of Marisa's old belongings._

_Bernie and I don't mind keeping these things around, but we don't have much use for them other than collecting dust. We think it would be best if you could come and look through it and see what you want to keep. It wouldn't be fair of us to get rid of anything without you having a say first._

_Give us a call sometime. We'll be waiting to see you again._

_With love,  
Clara_

Heather took a moment to catch her breath again before lowering the letter. Yumihiko was staring at her with curious eyes, resisting the urge to read over her shoulder. Heather slid the letter over to him, and Yumihiko snatched it up, reading faster than she would have guessed. Taking another regulated breath, Heather leaned back, balancing on the stool top.

Her mother's belongings. Heather had long accepted the fact that there was nothing left of Marisa Kaleigh _besides_ her skeleton and memories, the rest entirely wrecked in the fire. Not even Heather's own belongings had made it through, no evidence of her childhood even existing outside of the Southway manor.

The letter hadn't said what kind of things they were, but that didn't matter. There was _something_ that existed, something that confirmed Marisa Kaleigh had lived and breathed. Clara and Bernie had tried not to keep much in their apartment considering the space limitations. It could have been any number of things that had survived by being stowed away at Hobbleton.

"That's great, Heather!" Yumihiko exclaimed once he had finished reading. He put the letter and his food aside, trying to lean as far across the island's surface as possible without knocking anything over. He reached for Heather's hand, and she instinctually took it. "Why don't we take a trip, then? We can take some time off and go to England and—oh, would it be too late to book a plane and a hotel for tomorrow?"

Years of living with the Southways had taught Heather that it was never too late to do certain things as long as you had the money for it. However, that wasn't the real issue here. "We can't just take off so suddenly, Yumi. I have to work tomorrow and so do you."

"Right…" Yumihiko deflated a little, his stomach almost digging into the corner of the island. It didn't look comfortable, so Heather did her best to lift him a bit by the shoulders. He moved easily, settling back into his own seat. "I don't see why we can't just take a few days off, though. This is really important."

"First off, that's bad work manners and you know it." Yumihiko pouted but didn't argue. There was just about as much of a chance of his boss letting him off the hook as there was with Heather's. "Second off, there's a chance this may take more than just a few days. I know it's not guaranteed, but if it does, I think we should be prepared…"

Heather didn't want to get her hopes up too much—what if it was just some stray belongings that had only survived past Marisa's childhood on accident? That wouldn't take too much time to sift through, and then she wouldn't even have work to keep her mind off things. Still, on the off chance it was something big, some sort of _clue_ as to _why_…

_It was a job request initially,_ Lilian had said. She had been utterly detached. _ Someone came in with a name and said they wanted her dead. Someone whose plans had been ruined by your mother's uncanny abilities from the sound of it…_

_So what, I'm supposed to be able to figure that out? Is that what I'm expecting? That's… That's just rubbish._

"Come on, Heather, don't look so sad," Yumihiko said, making Heather remember where she was. The prosecutor was pouting. He probably didn't do it on purpose, but the expression was enough to better her sour mood a little bit. "I'll talk to Prosecutor Edgeworth tomorrow, and you can talk to Itami-san. We didn't get a chance to use up our vacation days over the summer, so we should be able to take the trip no problem."

"Yeah," Heather agreed. For whatever reason, the past summer had been a rather busy time for crimes to be committed, and she and Yumihiko had been working practically nonstop. "I'll do that. I'll make sure to finish up Prosecutor Gavin's case and then we can get ready to take a trip." She smiled. Even if the reasons weren't optimal, she and Yumihiko hadn't really gone on a proper trip together before.

And if he was at least half a handful overseas as he was at home, Heather definitely had her work cut out for her.

"Okay, and I'll be sure to ask Prosecutor Edgeworth, too!" Yumihiko agreed. "Heh, this'll be a lot of fun. Oh, though we should finish eating first! No, wait, I forgot the chicken and vegetables…" Yumihiko set into a small frenzy, running back over to the microwave and checking its contents. "But, wow, Heather. Your mother's things. You're so lucky…"

Heather wasn't sure if she felt lucky. Plus with that tone of his, Yumihiko thinking like that probably wasn't for the best, either. He had never really met his own mother, and talking about parents was likely to lead to Bansai, and that was a conversation neither of them wanted. Picking back up her rice, Heather walked around the island and to Yumihiko's side.

"Don't get too distracted, or we'll forget the food again," she teased. There was a long line of containers that left that were more likely to end up being lunch tomorrow over anything, but they would try to eat it all regardless. Yumihiko only giggled, not taking any insult. "Besides, we've got quite the challenge ahead of us tomorrow, so we need to be focused."

Yumihiko nodded, an almost unnecessary determination in his eyes. Sure, talking to Edgeworth and Itami wasn't going to be easy, but he didn't need to steel himself so much for it. Deciding that was part of his charm, Heather kissed him on the forehead.

"God, I love you, Yumi," she said without further explanation. Watching Yumihiko get flustered, Heather resumed eating her rice.

* * *

Sorry for the day late update. I had a lot of life stuff (job, school, Camp NaNoWriMo, getting my bank card blocked), but at least this isn't as late as last week's update...

I would usually write a more detailed author's note, but I have homework due this evening, so I'll have to escape for the time being. Just know that I really appreciate you guys for reading :) The next chapter will be posted August 26.

[I also realized I forgot to tag the characters on this story, what the fu-]

Next time, Heather contemplates, Tōko Mutō makes some decisions without consulting anyone properly, and Yumihiko stands his ground. please look forward to it~

[POST] 071615


	3. Chapter 2: Much Stronger Than I Thought

**Mothers**

By: Aviantei

Chapter 2: Much Stronger Than I Ever Thought

* * *

September 22, 2022, 1:06 PM

Itami Hospital, Basement Break Room

* * *

Heather had gotten into the habit of taking a later lunch while she was in University. In secondary school, she had always eaten on time, mainly because that was what her schedule allowed. Of course, then she had always been away from the house when she ate, excepting weekends, so it had never really occurred to her. It was only once her university schedule gave her more time in the Southway manor that Heather realized she couldn't stand eating lunch in her step-mother's presence and had changed her eating patterns accordingly.

Even though running into Lilian at the lunch table wasn't even remotely possible, she had kept the habit once she had formally moved to Los Angeles, mainly because there was no reason to change back. Her boss, Itami Otome, didn't care when her employees took their breaks, so long as they did their jobs, and when Yumihiko was at home, he tended to space out and not pay attention to the time. It was very likely he would forget to eat until evening unless Heather reminded him.

Heather clocked into her break, sitting down into one of the chairs. She had ordered her lunch about an hour before, so it would hopefully arrive soon. It had been a slow day, the usual stream of murder cases that plagued the city seemingly taking a break for the moment. Prosecutor Gavin hadn't even called in about his case, Heather's work apparently waterproof enough to not need anything double-checked.

It made Heather feel proud, but also extremely bored. She loved her job, and understood that it was for the best when she didn't have anything to do—crime rates were a bit down, and the hospital's success rate with seemingly terminal patients was increasing by the evaluation. Even so, sometimes she just had an extremely powerful urge to stare down a body and cut into it to find its secrets.

"Special delivery!" the loud voice of Tōko Mutō called out, echoing against the small room's walls. After recovering from her wince, Heather looked up to see the young nurse wielding a box of take out from the restaurant the coroner had ordered from, as she had brilliantly forgotten her leftovers at in the fridge at home. "Your lunch showed up at the front desk while I was there, so I figured I'd bring it down to you!"

"Thanks." Heather nodded in appreciation for Mutō's kindness, accepting her lunch. Mutō was energetic to say the least, and Itami Otome's granddaughter. Usually they would be in a pair, the nurse helping her grandmother's quiet voice able to be heard. On the odd occasion, though, they would be separate, doing whatever work was necessary to be done apart. "You didn't have to do that, though. If Itami-sensei finds out you're skipping out on real work, you'll get an earful."

Mutō pouted, her cheeks puffing out. "I am not skipping out," she protested. "I got caught up in taking care of a few high maintenance patients earlier, so I get to eat my lunch now. You and I happened to order from the same place, so they showed up at the same time." Sure enough, the nurse produced a matching box from behind her back. "So let's eat together!"

Heather didn't know how she felt about Mutō trying to be friends. On one hand, she had a lot of respect for the girl, after everything that had happened to her and her grandmother in the case three years ago. On the other hand, Heather had never been very good at letting people get close to her. Despite the fact that Mutō's outgoing attributes were reminiscent of Yumihiko and Ema, Heather still wasn't convinced.

Still, she smiled, for the sake of being polite. "Sure." Even if they weren't quite friends, Mutō was one of the few people Heather could talk to in the hospital. It wouldn't hurt to socialize every now and then. Adjusting, Heather pulled out a chair for Mutō at the table and sat up. "Take a seat."

"Thanks!" Mutō chirped, taking her seat. Heather opened up her box and grabbed a plastic fork out of the cup of silverware she had set up in the middle of the table. "It doesn't look too messy in here. Having a slow day?"

Heather sighed, her shoulders slumping without meaning to. "Slow as balls," she muttered, not even caring to censor herself. Mutō didn't blink, probably having adjusted to the language from her grandmother's own foul mouth. "It'd be nice if there was more going on for me to look into, but it seems like most crimes have been short of murder lately."

"Yeah, but they still show up at our door." Mutō started into her own lunch, making a small noise at the taste. Heather guessed her own was good, but she didn't think anything would ever be good enough for her to get so excited about it. Mistaking the source of Heather's confusion, the nurse continued, "There's been a lot of assault and injuries from robberies coming in lately. Grandma says at least a third of our patients over the past month of so have been related to crime."

Heather nodded. "Yumi and Garnet were talking about that the last time I visited him on a case. Sounds like things have been getting rougher in court, too." The other girl's mouth was full, so she tilted her head to ask the question. "It seems like more and more attorneys are starting to care less about who did it and more about just getting results. Sure, doing good background work on my part helps, but sometimes it's not enough to prevent a false verdict…"

"Well, that's just a plain bunch of rotten peanut shells!" Mutō exclaimed and Heather grimaced from the volume. There was no doubt that she was Itami's granddaughter. _Still, did she learn that from Itami-sensei, or did she come up with it on her own?_ Noticing the expression on the coroner's face, Mutō balked. "Oh, sorry. Still, things seem like they're getting tougher and tougher. Make sure you and Ichiyanagi are careful, okay?"

Heather smiled a little bit. "No worries about that," she assured. "Though I'm probably gonna have to look out for Yumi more than me." Mutō nodded her approval, and Heather took a contemplative bite of her lunch. "Though since things are this troublesome, the chances of me getting a vacation soon are pretty slim, huh…"

"Eh? You want a vacation?" Mutō leaned forward, her eyes widened, and let out a short laugh. "Man, never thought I'd see the day when Heather Kaleigh wanted to skip out on work and run away for a while."

Heather rolled her eyes and screwed the cap back onto her bottle of water. "That's not it at all," she said. "Yumi and I were just going to—"

"_Ooooh,_" Mutō almost sang, now leaning closer than ever. At this rate, the nurse was going to end up with her lunch staining her uniform. Heather wondered what Itami would say about that, but was quickly distracted by other concerns. "You and Yumihiko are taking a little trip, huh? Don't tell me that you're sneaking away to push that engagement of yours to the next level."

Heather almost groaned out loud, but wasn't about to let Mutō have the satisfaction. The other girl had been one of the most adamant about the engagement once it had made it through the grapevine, and Heather wasn't about to _ever_ let Garnet be excused for being an absolute gossip.

"It's not like that at all," she denied, and Mutō pouted. "I just have to meet up with some family soon, and Yumi wants to come along. We are _not_ getting married or eloping or whatever fantasy you have going around in your head, Mutō."

Mutō only laughed nervously, and the coroner sighed. God, she loved Yumi, and she happily agreed to his proposal, but actually getting married wasn't something she was ready for. Besides, everyone would make a big deal about the preparations, especially if Gavin got involved, and the whole affair would be a giant mess that Heather wasn't about to deal with on top of finding out she had an inheritance buried back at Hobbleton.

_And even if I wanted to, there's no way Yumi and I could get secretly married. No one would accept it and demand a do-over._

"I guess I've been reading too many romance novels lately," Mutō admitted, a light blush dancing over her cheeks. She nodded once, her expression becoming more neutral than embarrassed. "Still, I'm sure if you explained what's going on to Grandma, she'd let you go. You know she kinda favors you anyway."

Heather sunk back into her chair, staring at the ceiling. "I guess." Mutō made it sound so easy. "But that doesn't change the fact that Itami-sensei's a bloody firecracker when she gets mad. If I ask the wrong thing, or go at the wrong time, who knows what'll happen."

"This sounds important, though, am I right?" Heather nodded. "Then I wouldn't waste any time. Oh, I know! I could ask for you if you really want. I know how to read Grandma better than anyone, so it'll be a cinch!"

Heather blinked. "Well, I…"

"Then leave it to me!" Mutō declared, not even acknowledging Heather's hesitation. Within seconds, the nurse had stood up, gathered the packaging from her lunch, tossed it in the break room's rubbish bin, and sped out of the room.

"That's it," Heather muttered. "She just runs all over the place so fast. Ema and Yumi are both at a way more reasonable pace with their energy." Sighing, she gathered up her own rubbish and tossed it away. "Still, I guess that her willingness to help others isn't so bad." Stretching her arms, the coroner headed to her desk. "Guess it's back to waiting for work to show up then…"

* * *

September 22, 2022, 5:23 PM

Prosecutor's Building, Chief Prosecutor's Office

* * *

"A vacation?" Edgeworth asked, a bit more surprise seeping into his voice than Yumihiko had expected. Nervous, but not wanting to show it in his voice, the younger prosecutor just nodded. Edgeworth might not have liked the request, but at least he was able to keep such reactions to himself. Yumihiko wanted to be able to do the same. "You do realize this is a trying time, correct? With the increase in casework, sparing even one of our prosecutors may be something we can't afford without our quality suffering."

"I understand," Yumihiko said. Before, he would have immediately collapsed under Edgeworth's insistence, or at least made a fool of himself trying to provide a counter argument. Now, at least to his own ears, the younger prosecutor at least thought he sounded confident enough to stand his ground. "It's just… I wouldn't be doing this without a reason, you know."

Just like he was in court, Edgeworth kept his expression unreadable. This was to be expected of someone that had become the Chief Prosecutor, but Yumihiko couldn't help but be impressed. Folding his arms across his chest, the older man set his gaze to meet up with Yumihiko's. "And that would be?"

Deciding it would just be easier to pretend like he was in court, Yumihiko pulled his baton out of his pocket, the familiar weight in his fingers putting him at ease. "It's about Heather," he started. That would be get enough to get Edgeworth's attention, since he did consider the coroner as one of his acquaintances. "She just found out that some of her mother's belongings have been found, and she intends to go and gather them soon."

"Overseas?" Edgeworth questioned, an eyebrow raised just the slightest amount. "She does understand the risks of that at such a time as this? Given the circumstances, it may be better to just wait until a later time, or at least look into other options beyond traveling herself."

Yumihiko knew that Edgeworth had a point. The Chief Prosecutor always had a point. By now, there were enough international tensions that negotiations were needed to prevent war from breaking out. Yumihiko didn't know all the root causes of it, but he did know enough that things weren't going to calm down anytime soon. Anyone that traveled abroad had the chance of getting stuck in their destination if the wrong buttons were pushed at the wrong time.

Even worse, Edgeworth's fiancée, Cecilia Achhammer, had traveled to Japan to assist with the negotiations. It was easy to forget the world was on the verge of crisis when Yumihiko was focused on his own life, but there were little reminders everywhere. Ignoring the ball tightening in his throat, Yumihiko carried on.

"I understand your concerns, but I don't think Heather will consider that as reason enough." Yumihiko didn't need to go into much detail about his girlfriend's stubborn streak as Edgeworth had borne witness to it several times in the past. "This is something that means a lot to her, and I think she's willing to take the risk if it means getting a chance to learn about her mom."

That was a feeling that Yumihiko could understand completely. She had only had a limited amount of time with Marisa, and Yumihiko didn't even have that much. In some ways, he wanted this for Heather because she had the chance to do something that he probably wouldn't ever be able to do.

_That's not your fault, it's no one's fault, no one except his, and you can't change it, can't take back what Oyaji did—_

Without meaning to, Yumihiko gripped harder onto his baton.

The two prosecutors stared at each other over Edgeworth's desk in silence. It was a bit unsettling, but Edgeworth had a certain way to read things about Yumihiko that the younger didn't understand or notice on his own. The moment was one of those instances, and Yumihiko could only hope that he wasn't projecting anything that would hurt his chances of getting an approval. In the end, the Chief Prosecutor was the one to look away, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"You two do certainly have a way of making simple things so dramatic, now don't you?" Edgeworth commented, a small smile tugging up the edge of his lips. Yumihiko resisted the urge to bend his baton, but just barely. "Very well," the Chief Prosecutor allowed. "There's no point in denying such a request, since I'm sure Miss Kaleigh would be more than willing to drag you off to London regardless of my approval. Therefore, I'll grant you a week of your choosing, although that's all I can spare you for. Is that acceptable, Ichiyanagi-kun?"

Yumihiko nodded; he had been so stunned by the positive response that he had already lost any window for rebuttal. It didn't matter much considering he didn't have any problems with the allowance anyway. Heather would be the one to ask, and she would probably just be content with whatever she could get as well. They would deal with any stray threads later.

"Thank you, Prosecutor Edgeworth," Yumihiko said, giving a short bow to his boss. When he straightened up, Edgeworth was sipping at a cup of tea that had been sitting to the side. Yumihiko let himself relax enough to smile. "And thanks from Heather, too."

The teacup returned to its matching saucer with a soft _tinkle_. "As I said, it would be futile to try and forbid you to go. Beyond that, you and Miss Kaleigh are no longer children, and have proven yourselves to be responsible enough to maintain your own affairs. While I have my concerns, I do trust your judgment." Edgeworth reestablished eye contact, and this time it was gentler. "Just do be careful, that's all I ask."

Yumihiko nodded. "Of course."

"Then I believe there's no need to linger here." Edgeworth stood up, setting his now empty teacup aside and beginning to gather his belongings. "You and I have both done plenty of work for the day, and then some. I expect that you and Miss Kaleigh will not simply disappear without informing at least some of us, correct?"

Judging by the extra push on the last word, Edgeworth really thought they might do such a thing. Maybe a younger Yumihiko would have forgot to put in a notice before leaving the country on complete accident, but he liked to believe he was better now. Especially if Heather was with him.

"We still need to make travel preparations, so it should be a few days," Yumihiko said, following the Chief Prosecutor's lead out of the man's office. Edgeworth took a moment to lock up his door, double-checking the knob afterwards. "I'll be sure to let you know before we go, Prosecutor Edgeworth."

Edgeworth seemed satisfied enough by the response. "Then I shall see you sometime tomorrow, Yumihiko-kun. Do have a pleasant evening."

"Yeah, have a good evening!" Yumihiko almost stammered as Edgeworth walked towards the stairwell. Once the Chief Prosecutor was out of ear shot, Yumihiko let out a sigh of relief, baton bending at a dangerous angle between his fingers.

_I actually did pretty well, there, didn't I? In fact, I'd say first rate!_

Pleased, Yumihiko traded out his baton for his cellphone and headed down the hall, navigating his contacts. There would be time to feel proud of his accomplishments later. For now, he still needed to gather up his things to head home, not to mention the planning for travel that was now waiting in the future.

"_Hey, there, Yumi,"_ Heather answered, an extra chip of happiness in her tone. _"Itami-sensei gave me the approval. How'd things go with Edgeworth?"_

"He said yes, too, though I only have a week," Yumihiko responded as he entered his own office. He just needed to pick up a few files for his upcoming case to review, and then he would be set. "Does that sound like enough time?"

Heather let out a contemplative hum. _"Yeah, that sounds about right. I'll be able to say or certain once I see how much stuff is there, but a week sounds like just the right amount to run away from the real world for a while. Itami-sensei said I could take as much time as I want, since it's Mum, but I'd feel bad if I ended up taking forever."_

Yumihiko wanted to tell her that it really was okay to take up time on this, but Heather wouldn't hear any of it. Besides, they could talk more about it later. "Sounds good then," he agreed, double-checking his materials to make sure he didn't miss anything. "I'm gonna head home, okay? So I'll see you soon, Heather."

"_Alright, I'll try and get something for dinner, then. Maybe we can go out or something…"_ Heather almost muttered. _"Agh, whatever! We can figure it out when you get here, so hurry home, Yumi."_ That settling the conversation, she hung up the phone, and Yumihiko couldn't help but smile a bit.

Even after a year, it still made him happy to have someone he could have waiting for him to come home.

* * *

Here it is, chapter two!

I've mostly been job hunting, running around watching _Life is Strange_, tripping headfirst into _GANGSTA._ (and planning a mini-fic), plus getting ready to update a whole lot of _Exception_.

The next chapter doesn't have an update date yet, so please be patient with me!

Next time, the plane is boarded, relatives are reencountered, and Yumihiko and Heather settle in to their new lodgings. Please look forward to it!

[POST] 082615


	4. Chapter 3: Look So Sad

**Mothers**

By: Aviantei

Chapter 3: Look So Sad

* * *

September 30, 2022, 12:17 PM

iFly Airlines Flight I-691, First Class Area

* * *

"Is it just me, or did we have way too easy a time of getting permission to do this?" Heather mused, finally easing back into her seat. Yumihiko was busy still trying to get his carry-on item put up in the overhead, and only responded with a few grunts. Heather sighed, almost sinking into the chair. Really, she guessed it was better taking first class than economy on a ten hour flight overseas, but the amount of absolute posh in the area was enough to make her feel sick. The first class area was on a whole separate _floor_ even! Wasn't that just _insane_?

With a final push, Yumihiko managed to secure his bag. Heather guessed they could have waited for the flight attendants to do it for them, but it was a bit too late now. Smiling, Yumihiko sat in the seat across from her, securing his belt. "There, baggage all taken care of!" he declared. "Though, I don't quite get what you mean, about it being too easy…"

"Well, you know, the crime rate's been up lately, so we're both busy people," Heather started. "Not to mention the news is one big panic attack over every negative _sneeze_ over in negotiations. I'm surprised that they're even allowing normal citizens to go through international flights at this point."

Of course, it was even more surprising the number of people that were still _willing_ to go overseas. The entire plane was packed, and it wasn't a small plane, either. It could easily fit hundreds of people, and it was just one of many flights going abroad for the hour. Heather knew her reasons were valid in not wanting to wait, but at the same time the ease at the gate had been almost unnerving.

_Maybe they're all in denial. They think if they carry on with their lives as they normally do, it'll stop war from breaking out. I mean, it doesn't really work that way, but if that's what people want to think…_

"Well, the US has been pretty open these past few months," Yumihiko commented, a gloved hand on his chin. "They don't want to shut anyone out and stop an uproar that could trigger something worse. Though they haven't said much about having a contingency plan…"

Heather couldn't help but giggle. Usually she didn't notice it, given that she had spent so much time around Yumihiko during his growth period, but every now and then, how much the prosecutor had changed was obvious. When they had first met, having a rational discussion about _anything_ was an impossible feat—due to both of their influence. Now, here Heather was discussing world affairs with that boy who had somehow grown up to be her fiancé.

_Man, I kinda feel old…_

"Though maybe you meant getting past Prosecutor Edgeworth and Itami-sensei?"

Heather smiled. "Yeah, I wasn't thinking about them as a problem, but I'm still kinda surprised that it worked out so easily," she said. "Mutō blabbed about it right way to her, so Itami-sensei came barging down into my office while I was in the middle of looking over some of the unorganized data in records. Mutō was with her, too, so it was loud as ever. And Itami-sensei was just like—" Heather cleared her throat, leaning over in an impersonation of her boss "—'If it has to do with Marisa, you go ahead! Take as long as you like!'" Yumihiko snickered, and Heather sat back up straight. "Man, it was loud enough to wake the dead. Good thing I didn't have a body to work on at the moment…"

She frowned a little. Even after a whole year, Heather hadn't had the opportunity to ask the woman how she knew her mother. Completing the move had been one thing, plus settling into work had been another. Being the hospital director, it wasn't like Itami had much free time on her hands, either.

"Yeah…" Yumihiko fidgeted a bit, but didn't pull out his baton. He was staring at his lap, though, which was enough for Heather to know that something was off. Yumihiko glanced up, then realized the coroner was staring at him. "S-sorry. I was just wondering…do you think Ms. Achhammer's doing okay?"

"Ms. Achhammer?" Well, Heather could count herself officially off guard. Sure, she knew that Yumihiko worried about the woman—most of their circle of friends and acquaintances did—but it was just such a sudden turn in conversation. Then again, he had gone and talked to Edgeworth lately.

Though, really, even after getting to know the woman, Heather couldn't say she knew too much about Cecilia Achhammer, other than her relationship with Edgeworth. It had been a surprise when she had decided to go to Japan to help with the negotiations, especially since there was something about her quiet insecurity that reminded Heather of Yumihiko. But beyond that, there were more pressing things that Heather thought about on a daily basis that _didn't_ involve Cecilia.

"I think that she'll be fine," Heather reassured. "She has friends over there to help her out, right?" Yumihiko nodded. "Then they'll take care of her. And if anything happens, we would know. Things are tense, but they're not bad enough that communications have been broken down." The prosecutor's hands went still, a sure sign that he was relaxing. "Why don't you go ahead and give her a call sometime after we land? She may be busy, but I'm sure she'll be glad to have someone friendly calling."

Like he had just been given instructions for homework, Yumihiko provided an astute nod. "Alright. I'll be sure to do that."

Heather reached forward and rested her hand on his knee. "Good. Now why don't you try and relax? The last time you flew over to see me, I could _smell_ your jetlag. If you try and fall asleep after they give you dinner and you wake up for breakfast, you should be able to make it until it's night over there."

Besides, plane rides had always made her sleepy, anyway. If she wasn't careful, Heather would pass out before she could even eat.

* * *

October 1, 2022, 11:34 AM

Hobbleton Café

* * *

Once he stepped out of the taxi, Yumihiko yawned for the _n_th time in the past hour. While he had done his best to try and follow Heather's advice, falling asleep had been far too difficult, especially when they had hit a patch of turbulence. It wasn't enough to cause any troubles, but it _did_ keep him awake. Somehow, Heather had slept through the whole ordeal and woken up just as the flight attendant was serving breakfast. From that point on, she was bright and chipper, and had made it out of the airport in record time as Yumihiko dragged behind.

He couldn't even look forward to a _nap_ in the near future, given that Heather had insisted it would be better for him to wait until nightfall for any sleep whatsoever.

About two weeks too late for the realization, the young prosecutor was able to remember exactly why he didn't travel abroad on a regular basis. How Edgeworth managed this sort of thing regularly was beyond Yumihiko's range of comprehension.

"Well, looks like the regular lunch rush is in there," Heather observed, hands cupped around her eyes as she peaked into the café window. There was enough sunlight that Yumihiko could barely see normally, let alone through the glare on the glass. Unaffected by the unexpected weather, Heather stood up straight, a hand on the handle of her suitcase. "Well, we're here so we might as well eat. Man, I've been itching for Bernie's cooking for a while now!"

Not even waiting for Yumihiko to agree—which was his intention—Heather grabbed onto his wrist and stepped into the store.

Hobbleton Café was a small, privately ran establishment tucked away in one of the very few, less crowded areas of London. Yumihiko had Heather had eaten lunch there three years ago, when he had come to offer her a job as a coroner. It was a rustic looking place, with old-style décor and pictures lining the walls, and customers were able to set themselves. Looking around, Heather pointed to an empty booth on the side of the room where there would be enough place to temporarily store their luggage out of the way.

"Um, sorry if this sounds stupid, but why are we here?" Yumihiko asked. Heather looked up from the menu already in her hands, eyes slightly wide. "I mean, I know you like it here, but wouldn't it have been easier to drop off our things at your relative's place before stopping to eat?"

Immediately, Heather frowned, her eyes scrunching closed. "Ah, I completely forgot!" she exclaimed, though it fit right in with the noise of the other customers. "'Cause Clara and Bernie have all of Mum's things, they offered to let us stay in their guest room." In a second, she read the second question from Yumihiko's mind. "I'm such a wanker; I can't believe I didn't tell you! Clara and Bernie are actually my grandparents on Mum's side."

Yumihiko blinked.

Well.

_That_ certainly would have been some useful information to have.

Heather shoved her face into her menu, proceeding to lower her entire head to the table, the tips of her ears red. She usually didn't get this embarrassed over things, so it was a rare sight. In some ways, it was kind of cute, but not the point at the moment. Yumihiko patted her shoulder, not quite sure what was the right thing to say, but something was better than nothing.

"Heather—"

"Ah, there you are! I was wonderin' when you would show up!"

It was probably just because Yumihiko had been so focused on his conversation with Heather, but Clara seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, coffee pot in one hand, a tray brandishing mugs and small pitcher of hot water in the other. With practiced grace, the proprietress of the café put the cups down, served Yumihiko some coffee, and set up the ingredients for tea on Heather's side of the table.

Yumihiko hadn't paid overly much attention to Clara the last time he had been at Hobbleton, but he had also been a ball of overactive nerves at that time, too. Still, looking at her, he wouldn't have guessed she was a grandmother, even if her red hair was turning a bit gray. If Heather hadn't have told him, Yumihiko never would have guessed.

"Come on, Heather, gimme a hug, won'tcha?" Still a bit red, but smiling, Heather stood up to hug Clara, almost at the same height as the older woman. Eventually she let go, and the coroner settled back into her seat. "I swear, you just keep getting' older. And you, Yumi." Yumihiko stiffened at the sound of his name. "You've definitely gotten older, too. Last time you were here, you were so scrawny, I wanted to stuff you full the second you walked in the door! You been takin' care of Heather alright?"

Maybe it would have been better to not know about the relation between Heather and Clara just yet. Just like that, what would have been a simple question was already loaded, and Yumihiko found himself stammering as he tried to pour creamer into his coffee.

"Yumi's been great," Heather said, saving him. She had already prepared her tea and was swirling the contents of her mug in circles with her spoon. "I already told you about everything he did for me last year, and he's been doing as much as he can ever since."

Satisfied, Clara nodded. Then she dug into her apron pouch, pulling out a notebook and pencil. "Alright, then. You kids must be starvin'. What can I get ya?"

"Fish and chips!" Heather immediately declared, shooting a hand up into the air. It seemed that she'd be enthusiastic for 'authentic British food,' just like she had promised during their pre-trip preparation. "I hoped Bernie stocked up, 'cause I've got a week to eat as much of his food as I want, you know?"

"Don't worry, Honey, we just went shoppin' yesterday," Clara assured. Finished scribbling down notes, she turned to Yumihiko. "And you?"

"U-um…" Yumihiko stammered. He hadn't even gotten a chance to look at the menu. Heather offered him her menu, and he took the laminated paper, letting out a few nervous chuckles. "I'd like a few more minutes to figure that out," he supplied lamely.

Much to his relief, Clara laughed. "Sure thing. I'll get some of the hired help to take your bags upstairs, too. Just holler when you're ready."

* * *

October 1, 2022, 1:17 PM

Hobbleton Café, Attic

* * *

Yumihiko followed Heather as she scaled the stairs easily. Having finished their meal, Yumihiko had been given a formal introduction to Bernie, who showed the way to their guest room. The tall man had pointed the direction in the direction of the attic before bustling back down to the kitchen. Heather hadn't even unpacked her suitcase before rushing out of the room.

Reaching the top, Heather opened the door and nearly flung herself inside, Yumihiko still attempting to catch up. Making it to the door himself, the prosecutor shut it behind him, coughing once he inhaled. Dust-formed proved plenty of boxes items had been moved already, but that did nothing for the smell of it in the air. Heather dragged back a set of curtains with a rattle, letting the sunlight in. While illuminating, it only served to reveal more boxes farther back. The café downstairs, while run by a close knit group of workers, was by no means small, and the expanse of the attic reflected that size.

"Just how much stuff were they even storing up here?" Yumihiko asked. Next thing he knew, Clara would be talking him into hauling boxes by the day's end.

Heather waved a cloud of dust out of her face, already searching the boxes. "Not sure. Which ones of these do you figure are Mum's?" She flipped a box open and shut it upon investigation, not satisfied with the contents.

"Can't be too hard to find since your grandparents already found them. Though there might be more than they expected." There was still a maze of boxes in the far end of the room. Who knew what could be lurking back there? Knowing the only way to figure it out was to hunt them down, Yumihiko tugged on the pair of gloves stowed in his jacket pocket. "We'll conduct a first-rate investigation, Ms. Kaleigh."

Heather giggled, hefting a checked box into the start of an irrelevant pile. "Lead the way, Ichiyanagi-kenji."

With the coroner on one end of the room and the prosecutor on the other, it didn't take long to sort their way through several boxes. Yumihiko wasn't sure what he was looking for, but saying that old dishware didn't belong to Heather's mother at a young age was a safe guess. Although Heather had contacted Clara and Bernie to let them know the details of their stay, it didn't seem like she had found out what they were coming to retrieve. She wouldn't have stopped gushing about it otherwise.

Yumihiko smiled, even as a box of generic terry towels for Hobbleton was added to the pile. Heather had brightened up considerably in the past year since the case with her step-mother, and she approached both work and their relationship with a sense of vigor. This newest excursion had cranked that illumination up farther, his girlfriend running on a high. If he had been given the same chance, Yumihiko knew he would react the same.

He paused, fighting the frown. Bansai had hardly spoken on his wife, only to remind Yumihiko that she was gone and that there were better things to focus on. It had taken Yumihiko until he was attending Themis Academy and his father was spending more time at work to even learn more about her.

Ichiyanagi Akemi had disappeared in August 2003, a few weeks after Yumihiko's second birthday. There was a single photo of the three together from the party, taken by a family friend that Yumihiko hadn't been able to find. Despite investigations, there had been no leads, and she had been legally considered dead years ago. Yumihiko's maternal grandparents still lived in Japan, but they hardly sent word outside of the fraction of support Yumihiko received between his father's arrest and turning eighteen. What she had been like before or during her marriage was a complete mystery.

It didn't have to be something as big as her old belongings, but he would have liked more than a photo to know her by. That, at the very least, he had been able to save from the fire.

"Ah, here we go!"

Heather's exclamation drew Yumihiko's attention to her newest excursion. While originally hidden behind other boxes based on the drag marks through the dust-coated floor, the coroner was now standing in front of a stack of boxes neatly labeled "Marisa" in a tidy capital script that resembled Heather's.

"Is that it?" Yumihiko asked, dusting off his pants as he stood and crossed the room. Heather paid no mind to the state of her clothes, instead retrieving a box and diving to the floor. Peering over the edge, Yumihiko saw what appeared to be a number of books in different sizes and colors with blank spines. Flipping one open revealed pages of handwritten script, and Heather gasped for joy.

"Journals," she said, eyes darting over the words. Yumihiko kneeled down, not wanting to disturb his girlfriend's discovery. "This looks like it's from secondary school…" Heather paused in her reading to flip to the front cover, holding her place with a thumb. "Aha. She numbered them, too. Looks like this is number ten…" The coroner eyed the box with the same enthusiasm she gave to corpses, though this was much more warranted. "Yumi, help me find the first one, would ya?"

Having permission, Yumihiko nodded, tugging one of the journals free. They had been preserved well, and it felt like a waste to place them on the floor where they'd gain dust in no time. Standing, he retrieved several of the terry towels and created a makeshift blanket.

Heather beamed at him, forming stacks out of the journals already in her lap. "Brilliant," she said, sorting through the journals with a precision worthy of paperwork. Yumihiko followed suit, though Heather found the book she was looking for first. "I got it! Whoa, the nineties. That's a blast from the past…"

Heather's murmuring died out, replaced by her mouthing the words as she read. Yumihiko watched, attempting to ignore the swirl of discontent in his chest. His hand reached for his baton, but he stopped himself. If he started fiddling with it now, Heather would be able to tell something was up faster than Gumshoe could add the word "pal" to the end of his sentence. Instead, Yumihiko cleared his throat, snatching Heather's attention.

"I don't wanna distract you by making more of a mess," he said, pushing forward his courtroom demeanor to keep the nerves at bay. "I think I'll go unpack our stuff. Give you one less thing to worry about."

"Thanks, Yumi. You're the best." She leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Come and get me around dinnertime, okay? You know Clara and Bernie won't let me skip any meals…"

Yumihiko had hardly agreed before Heather was back in her reading, not even registering the surroundings around her. The prosecutor exited the room in silence, closing the door behind him before letting out a sigh. He should have been glad for Heather, _was_ glad for Heather, but still…

_Why do I feel so jealous?_

* * *

**[Avi's Sudden Reappearance Notes]**

Next up on the "update stories you haven't touched in forever" initiative is _Mothers_. Once again, I know this isn't particularly high on anyone's reading list, but it's important to me to get some work done on it. And so I did. Up to chapter eight of this story is now complete, so we'll be seeing updates over here for the next few weeks. At the very least, _I'm_ excited.

But wait. Even though this isn't very popular, there are people who've read this over its (far too long) hiatus. And to those people, I'd like to extend a thank you. Writing doesn't do much good if there aren't people to read it. And while this story still has some time until it reaches its conclusion, hopefully it'll satisfy for now.

Things that have changed since I last updated this story: I have played the GK2 patch! Well, parts of it. It's slow going with school and reading and my unnecessary number of hobbies, but I do like how things have gone so far. I bounced when Yumihiko arrived. And I love the voice they used for his "Objection!" clip. Spot on. I should get back to that...

Ah, but enough of that. I need to get back to my behind Camp NaNoWriMo project and other writing needs. If you want more updates on writing things I'm up to, my Twitter Plot_K_Bunny is the place for that. Beyond that, we'll be back in this space next week for chapter four. Please look forward to it!

-Avi

[04.22.2017]


	5. Chapter 4: Time to Waste

**Mothers**

By: Aviantei

Chapter 4: Time to Waste

* * *

October 2, 2022, 12:28 AM

Hobbleton Café, Guest Room

* * *

Yumihiko cracked an eye open to the dark room, trying to make out the clock. Unlike his penthouse back in LA, which scaled over several other buildings, the Hobbleton was tucked between two others and backed up against another, leaving only the front end for windows. The guest room had no such view of the outside, and was thus pitch black, save for a slight glowing behind him. Giving up sleep and rubbing his eyes, Yumihiko sat up, propping himself up on his arm.

Heather lied beside him, slumped down in the pile of pillows she had been leaning on. One of Marisa Kaleigh's journals rested in her lap, and her reading light shone into the other side of the room with fluorescent determination. Yumihiko squinted as he picked it up, shining it on the analog clock face at his bedside. Grimacing at the time, he clicked the book light off, setting it and Marisa's journal aside.

Getting settled hadn't tired him out as much as he would have liked. Jet lag had always been his worst adversary—it was why he didn't travel abroad much. Back home it was still the afternoon, and he and Heather would be finishing up work, unless a major case was going on. Pretending to sleep hadn't gotten him very far before, so he'd have to do this the old fashioned way: stay up the night and try to not pass out until the next evening.

_Or, this evening._ It was already Sunday, the first day in England gone. Aside from digging up the boxes, Yumihiko hadn't had much to do besides unpack their things. Heather would probably read the rest of the trip away; dinner had left her distracted and running back upstairs after eating. Clara and Bernie provided decent company for the evening, but Yumihiko still felt out of place.

Sighing, Yumihiko slipped out of bed, being careful not to disturb Heather. She didn't even grunt as her boyfriend slipped out of the covers and fumbled for a bag in the dark. Their shared laptop still had case files and paperwork that could be sorted through, and Clara and Bernie had already provided access to the Internet. Yumihiko could easily kill the hours until morning.

Opening the door let the dim hall light sneak into the room, left on for Yumihiko and Heather as guests. Glancing back, Heather slept on, glasses still propped on her face. Yumihiko sat the bag down at the doorframe and crossed the room back over, gently tugging off her glasses and adding them to the pile at her bedside. Brushing some hair from Heather's eyes, Yumihiko smiled before heading back out.

He turned left towards the parlor, the opposite direction leading to the attic. The two were endpoints, the rest of the bed, bath, and other such rooms in between. Using the dim hall lights as a guide, Yumihiko worked his way to a couch and managed to click on a lamp without causing much of a racket.

Yumihiko dug the computer from the bag, sat it on the table, and waited for it to start up. The parlor overlooked the street outside, soft lamp glow adding a peaceful tone to the room. While in the city, Hobbleton's merchant location made it peaceful at night, something LA didn't have. Yumihiko wandered to the windows, finding dead road outside, not even a stray animal in sight.

The computer chimed as it fully booted, and Yumihiko returned to his chosen set, sinking into the couch. Potpourri tinted the air with cinnamon and sharp herbs, hanging over the room the in the same manner as the silence. Not wanting to disturb anyone, Yumihiko switched off the sound before trying to find the latent paperwork from his previous case—an assault charge he had won the trial for. Even in victory, there was still work to be done.

Absolute silence and isolation was conductive to working through mundane files, the case finalized after an hour of work. Edgeworth wouldn't complain about the earlier than expected work. Despite being on vacation, Yumihiko's inbox was already cluttered with emails. Saving the headache from the coming week, Yumihiko began to sort through them.

All case requests had been automatically sorted away from him, reassigned to his colleagues. That didn't stop some people from trying, though. Even though they weren't many, Yumihiko did get personal requests on occasion. It was all the proof he needed that he was taking the right steps in his career.

There were personal messages, too: Klavier offering a short visit during his next stretch of tour, Detective Westenberg discarding professionalism and sending cat videos from work. There was even a short update from Achhammer sent around, assuring everyone that she was still fine and her work was going well, despite the tension.

_Achhammer-san._ Yumihiko hadn't spoken to her in a while. Double-checking his estimate of time back home off the computer clock, then converting back, he realized it would be a much more pleasant morning hour for the woman in Japan at the moment. It didn't sound like she got much free time given the circumstances, but there was a chance he could catch her before she left for work.

Fumbling into the backpack and cracking his elbow against the coffee table in the process, Yumihiko retrieved a pair of headphones. Being without international service, a computer call would have to do. Fighting to add a few credits to the phone application, Yumihiko found Achhammer's number amongst his contacts and hoped she would answer.

The line connected after a few rings, finding success. "_Moshi-moshi,_" Achhammer's gently accented Japanese answered, nearly unnoticeable after months of emersion. It was a vast improvement from her first attempts a few years back.

"Hello to you, too, Achhammer-san," Yumihiko answered, resisting the pull to swap back to his first language. Achhammer preferred to talk in English when contacting her friends Stateside, claiming it made the experience feel more like home. "I'm glad I caught you. I was worried you wouldn't pick up."

"_Yumihiko-kun!"_ the woman cheered, a smile blossoming into her words. _"I didn't expect a call from you today. It's definitely been a while since we checked in with each other."_

"Well, I didn't expect to call you today, either…" the prosecutor admitted, relaxing back into the couch. While he no longer got the same rush of anxiety while talking to Achhammer as his younger days, sleep still seemed like a far off mirage. "But I had jet lag and saw your email, then I realized you should be awake. Oh, I'm not interrupting your morning, am I, Achhammer-san?"

"_Cecilia,"_ came the fast correction, though Achhammer didn't press it further. _"I was just taking a break myself. There's still enough leeway that I can take the morning off, though I'll be meeting with Aokihara-san later…" _A friend from Achhammer's college days, Aokihara was now serving as one of Japan's ambassadors in the current negotiations. She had also been responsible for Achhammer's current internship. _"I have plenty of time until then, though, so don't you worry about it, Yumihiko-kun."_

Not worrying wasn't really in Yumihiko's skillset, but he tried nonetheless. "Well, if you can have time off, that means things are going well, right?" Achhammer couldn't give too many details, so the conversation remained on vague terms.

"_Yes, that's right." _Achhammer hummed a bit, considering her words. _"At the moment, things are stable, but causes for dispute still remain. Being in the negotiations hall is even more hectic than standing in a courtroom. I guess it's good practice for the nerves, though."_

"I'm sure you're doing great."

Achhammer laughed, the sound a refreshing fragment of home. _"Thank you for the support,"_ she offered. The words would have paired well with a precise curtsey. _"But what are you up to right now? You mentioned jet lag. You're not traveling for a case, are you?"_

Yumihiko shook his head before he remembered that he was on the phone. Surpassing the blunder, he went to occupy his hands with his baton, only to remember the tool was still lying in the guest room. "Heather needed to travel back to England, so I came with her. We just got here yesterday morning, so I haven't adjusted yet."

"_London then?"_ Achhammer muttered out time zone calculations beneath her breath. _"That makes it...very late, Yumihiko-kun. If you're going to be running around much, you'll definitely need your rest."_

"Well, I don't think we're going anywhere for the time being." One could hardly get Heather to leave the attic, let alone Hobbleton. "We're with her relatives. They…found some of her mother's things. She's making a project out of them. We'll probably be glued to one place until our flight back."

"_I see."_ Achhammer's voice took on a calm tone. There wouldn't have been anything wrong with that had it not the tendency to precede her analytic side. _"You don't sound very happy about that, Yumihiko-kun. Were you hoping for something a bit more active?"_

Achhammer, despite being a defense attorney in training, had yet to take the stage in court. However, she did have plenty of on-field experience from following Prosecutor Edgeworth around on cases. Having her own nervous ticks by the fistfuls, she was adept at picking them out in others.

Her familiarity with Yumihiko only increased the ease of the matter.

"N-no, that's not it," he said, cursing his stutter. It always returned in the most inconvenient situations: namely under Achhammer's pressing. Her pristine attitude and misleading questions to get the answer she was really searching for was going to make her a tricky adversary in court. "I don't mind staying in…"

"_Then you'd rather take the trip for other reasons."_ Yumihiko sighed and let Achhammer bring the point home. She'd just pull it out of him otherwise. _"Is Ms. Kaleigh's family the issue? I know that the case last year was rough for everyone. Being around them would be stressful. I hope you're both doing alright."_

Oh, so she had misread him. With concern like that, Achhammer's probing had ceased. If it didn't fuel her kindness and determination, that level of emotional investment could be a heavy weakness in her future as a lawyer. Yumihiko could have let the conversation die off, but leaving Achhammer on a half-truth would leave a bad taste in his mouth.

He needed someone to talk to anyways.

"We're not with her Mr. Southway," he said.

"_Oh,"_ Cecilia gasped, her quiet exhale dragging across the receiver and into Yumihiko's ear.

"We're at her grandparents' actually. On her mother's side." Cecilia reacted to the hesitation in his words, but she didn't interrupt. "Like I said, they found some of her mother's things. Her old journals. And I just…I don't know."

Trying to put it into words seemed stupid—petty even. Every rationalization he had given himself since the afternoon lead to the conclusion that he shouldn't be upset over this. But he was. It hadn't gone away, no matter how much Yumihiko had tried to hold it back. Even more than the jetlag, the twist in his heart was truly keeping him awake.

"_Go ahead, Yumihiko-kun,"_ Cecilia urged, her gentle tone siphoning out the self-doubt from Yumihiko's thoughts. It never completely faded, but it could get easier. _"You know I'm here for you if you need it. We may be oceans apart, but I can still listen to you."_

Taking a short breath to steady himself, Yumihiko adjusted his posture to ease his almost sleeping foot. "I mean, I'm glad about this," he started. That much was true. "I like seeing Heather happy. And this is amazing for her. She gets to learn more about her mother and I'm… I'm jealous."

Saying the word didn't sound as nasty as it made him feel, but it didn't take the whole load off his chest, either.

"_Oh, Yumihiko-kun._" She didn't know all the details, but she had been around when Bansai had made passing remarks about his missing wife. Mikagami had done wonderfully in the aftermath, and Yumihiko appreciated her. She just couldn't serve as a replacement. _"Sweetie, don't beat yourself up over this. I promise this is normal."_

Yumihiko sighed in relief, letting himself sink back into the couch. The cushions were worn down from use, but they did their job perfectly. "Okay. Okay. Thank you, Achhammer-san."

This time, she skipped the correction to her given name, a warm bubble of reassurance coming through the phone. _"You're welcome, Yumihiko-kun,"_ she said. Were they talking in person, she would have no doubt placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort. He kept her voice calm to compensate for the lack of that possible action. _"I'll admit that I don't know exactly how you're feeling, but I'm sure it's tough. I wish there was a way to learn more about your mother for you."_

Yumihiko considered the possibilities. With Achhammer in Japan—_No, don't be like that._ The woman had work to do, more important than his emotional baggage. This had been the time for Heather to learn more. His own time, if it ever came, would be in the future.

"It's okay," he said, starting to believe it. He didn't need to get rid of the jealousy, just not let it consume him. That seemed simple enough. "I shouldn't be thinking about things like that anyway. Not very first rate of me, is it?" Confidence slipped into his words, bit by bit. If nothing else, he had determination on his side.

"_As long as you think it's alright,"_ Achhammer allowed, not sounding completely convinced. Yumihiko had only managed to add another worry to her day. _"But don't think you need to keep this to yourself. Don't be afraid to talk about the things that worry you, Yumihiko-kun, even if you think you don't need to. You and Ms. Kaleigh will be able to build your bond of trust even further the more you open up… Miles taught me that."_

Unable to offer any other response to that, Yumihiko passed on another thank you.

"_Oh, sorry. I'm getting a call from Aokihara-san."_ Achhammer fumbled with her phone, creating static and clattering. _"This is probably about the meeting tomorrow, so I should take it. Call me again if you need to, Yumihiko-kun. It was nice talking to you!"_

"It was nice talking to you, too," he muttered, even though the line had cut off. Rubbing his eyes, Yumihiko closed out of the call and shut the computer down. The screen powered off, his eyes adjusted back down to the dim of night, a rare car in the street tossing its lights across the paintings on the walls. Standing to stretch his legs, Yumihiko considered his next move. Talking to Achhammer had killed some time, but there was still a long way until the morning. He had brought a few books along for the plane ride, but it wouldn't hurt to start on one of them while he had the time.

Leaving the light on in the living room, Yumihiko slipped back down the hallway, counting his steps across the hardwood, though he quickly lost track. Despite the age of the building, the boards didn't even protest under his weight. His trek was peaceful.

Leaving the door cracked for light, Yumihiko attempted to find his carry-on bag in the darkness. He had stacked it, along with the rest of their luggage, along the far wall in the room. On the way, he passed Heather, still asleep and peaceful from her mother's journals.

He could either kill time or do something useful with it. Forgetting his reading material, he set his sights on Heather's. Exiting the guest room, Yumihiko turned right down the hallway. The stairs were noisier than the floor, but his main adversary in the attic was still the dust trails. Maybe he'd ask Clara and Bernie for some cleaning supplies tomorrow, but for now, he had other plans.

Heather had left the journals out on his makeshift carpet, still in the first box. Several journals were stacked to the side, and an examination proved them to be the first three. The rest weren't in any particular order, and Yumihiko focused on lining up the numbers. He should have brought something to indicate the boxes with, but heading back downstairs would increase his chances of causing a racket. Organized stacks and partial memorization would have to do for now.

Finishing putting the first box into order, Yumihiko worked on the second. The journals in this one were from the late nineties, so he organized them and kept out the few stray books from other years. Keeping that box separate from the first, he started on the third, a collection from the early two-thousands. Partway through lifting a journal from the box, a photo slipped from the pages, and Yumihiko scrambled to catch it before it hit the floor.

It was a polaroid—something he hadn't seen in a while. A date on the back corresponded to summer 2003. Flipping it to the front showed off two women, arms around each other's shoulders and with smiles.

Marisa Kaleigh's grin reached out across her face in a precursor to Heather's own toothy smile, her hair a wave of rainbow streaks that worked down her back. Beside her stood a woman with dark hair and distinct eyelashes, laughing into the camera with a curl of hair sticking upwards before drooping into a question-mark like curl. Yumihiko had seen her once before.

Ichiyanagi Akemi.

_Oka-san._

His breath caught in his throat, refusing to grant air access to his lungs. Water stung at his eyes. The image in front of him perfectly matched to the last remaining family photo of the Ichiyanagi family, he was certain. Scrambling for confirmation, Yumihiko fumbled with the journal in his grip, letting it fall open to a random page. Familiar names were mixed into the words, Heather, Itami, Bansai, Yumihiko, Akemi.

Marisa Kaleigh had not only met Yumihiko's father, she had also known his mother.

* * *

**[Avi's Prepared Slightly Ahead of Time Notes]**

I'm trying out something called "being responsible and preparing my updates ahead of time, notes included." Not sure what came over me or what sort of madness that is. Anyway, it happened.

Thanks to those of you that read since the last update. There may not be many of you, but little numbers add up to make big ones, right? Eh, I'm just glad to be writing and updating at a consistent pace.

Speaking of writing, Camp NaNoWriMo is coming to a close. After much scrambling, I managed to get back on par. Just a few more days, and I'll have fifty-thousand words of fanfiction updates ready to go. Amazing what you can do in one month when you set your mind to it.

Ah, Cecilia. I feel bad because I keep making references to her story, even though I haven't written it yet. One day, after the Southway Saga is finished...maybe. I can dream, right?

Apologies for these notes being scrambled. It's been a rather busy month, but we're ending it in style. See you folks in May (aka next week) for the next update. Please look forward to it!

[04.28.2017]


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